Local

Lancaster’s Dixie Darlings softball team took its bows at this week’s city council meeting, and Mayor John Howard read a proclamation congratulating the team on its dominant run to the Dixie World Series.
The 8-and-under all-stars were District 2 champions, South Carolina state champions and finished No. 2 in the World Series.
Howard read the proclamation after the pledge and invocation at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

United Way of Lancaster County kicked off its 2017-18 campaign Thursday, setting a $425,000 goal, almost 9 percent more than the drive raised last year.
Meeting this year’s goal won’t be easy, said United Way Executive Director Deborah Boulware. One reason is that one of the drive’s biggest contributors in the past, Duracell, is cutting back in preparation for closing its Lancaster plant by 2019.
“We are going to have to work harder,” Boulware said. “We got around $125,000 from them last year.”

Red Ventures CEO Ric Elias has launched a nonprofit to raise at least $10 million for the hurricane recovery in his home territory of Puerto Rico, and he has vowed to match up to $5 million himself.
Elias, who co-founded Red Ventures in 2000 and moved the headquarters to Indian Land in 2009, launched Rebuild Puerto Rico on Wednesday.
“I care deeply about our island and about the people there,” Elias said. “Puerto Ricans are facing a magnitude of devastation not seen in our lifetime. My heart breaks for those in peril.”

There’s a new piece of Bob Doster artwork displayed outside Bruce Brumfield’s office at the Founders Federal Credit Union headquarters in Lancaster.
It’s a trophy from the Springs Close Foundation, which last week gave Brumfield the Col. Elliott Springs Legacy Award, citing the way he reflects the colonel’s “servant first” philosophy of giving back to the community.

The recently formed Pan-Hellenic Council of Lancaster will host a Meet and Greek from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 1, at the Lancaster Community Center, 508 E. Meeting St., Lancaster.
The chapters of the Lancaster Council are inviting all inactive members of the Divine Nine Greek-lettered organizations in the surrounding area to join us for networking, food, music and socializing with other local area Greek-lettered members. This is a free event.

The chances of getting busted are about to go up for drunk drivers in Lancaster County thanks to a sheriff’s office grant from the S.C. Department of Public Safety.
Announced during Monday night’s county council meeting, the $157,116 grant will pay for salary, benefits, a vehicle, uniforms, equipment and training for a third deputy on the sheriff’s office’s DUI Enforcement Team starting Oct. 1.

County council unanimously voted Monday to lease space for a satellite county government office in the Panhandle.
“We wanted to move forward in the Indian Land area for the convenience of the residents,” said council Vice Chair Charlene McGriff, who led Monday’s meeting in the absence of council Chairman Steve Harper.
The county will sign a letter of intent with the property owner on 2,200 square feet of space at The Commons of Doby’s Bridge. The strip center is at 8451 Charlotte Highway, just past the Gate station on U.S. 521 North.

A motorcyclist was killed early Monday after he was struck by two vehicles in Indian Land.
The Lancaster County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Breck Higgins, 49, of Lancaster.
Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Gary Miller said the collision happened about 5:30 a.m. near the intersection of Marvin and Henry Harris roads, about 3 miles outside Fort Mill.
Miller identified the other two drivers as Joseph Michael Hatten of Indian Land and John Joseph Donohue of Fort Mill.

The S.C. Department of Revenue has affirmed Lancaster County’s 2016 vote that legalized Sunday off-premises alcohol sales after hashing out two opposing state attorney general opinions on the matter.
Michael Lewis, SCDOR regulatory manager, notified county officials Sept. 19 of the agency’s decision.
“The department has chosen not to cancel the Sunday sales temporary permits in your county/municipality on June 30, 2018,” Lewis wrote in a letter.